Monthly Bucket List - March / April

This is my first monthly bucket list, here is a list of the things I hope to achieve next month. 

Things i have planned for April so far;

* My dear friends wedding in Birmingham, which will involve a well deserved night away with my better half WITHOUT the children whooo hooo. wheres the wine?! 

My aim is not to get drunk on one glass of wine or be the drunkest person at the party. 

* Moving Day, this has to be completed in a time frame of 2 days. Not negotiable. 

I hope to do this without too much stress (who am I kidding) or breakables.

* Easter Egg Hunt, the children's annual Easter egg hunt around the park, 

my town is very community active, it's more of a social get together for us mums. 

* My Granddad's funeral, I'm not a fan of funerals anyway, I don't suppose anyone really is, but i've been in denial since he passed away so I think it will all feel more real after this day. 

My aim is to try and not say the wrong thing at the wrong time, as I do this allot. 

* After all of the above, it's my nieces 2nd birthday, I cant wait to spoil her and have a day out at Cantref Farm and put the stressful few weeks behind me. 

It would be rude to not go on the water slide too (big kid) and eat lots of cake. 

My personal aim's;

* To finishing reading 'The book of you' which I shamefully started in February. I used to read at least a book a month but i've been useless lately. I really enjoy this book to. 

* I want to lose a stone but I know, for me a month is unrealistic, as I'm physically unable to eat healthy. so I will be more realistic and aim for 5lb. anything more and ill be happy anything less ill be disappointed!! I hope to go to 2 exercise classes a week instead of my usual one. 

* To get organized with my blogging. at the moment I'm grabbing a few moments here and there when I can, I'm failing deadlines and I don't feel I'm putting 100% into it. 

I need a kick up the bum.

* To keep up with 'Ordinary Lies' series after watching my first one last week, I really enjoyed it and would love to stick at a program again, since I had my son i've not really got into anything. 

As sleep deprivation is life consuming! 

* Save and do not spend! My spending habits have got a bit out of control recently so this month I intend to rain this in. I will find this extremly difficult. 

The kid's 

* I hope to get my son into a proper sleep routine with no night time waking (this would be so amazing) and two good naps. I don't have any confidence in this one happening. 

* Settling them both into the new house. It can be a big thing for kids and I don't want them to be too disturbed by it all. 

* Spend more time out, taking walks, visiting the park and feeding the ducks. 

This is weather dependant, them ducks can starve if it's raining! 

I think I will need allot of luck for this month, I'm thinking April will be a bit chaotic. 


Hosted by: Twinderelmo

Weekly Gossip.

My views on all that is in the news this week. 

I would love to do this every week. I will try my best to be pro-active and gossip more. 

* Dermot O'leary is leaving xfactor after 8 years :( there goes the only eye-candy! If they replace him with that Stephen Mulhern I cry and in protest I won't watch it ever agin (maybe!) 

* Russell Brand is clean off the planet, apparently he is highly intelligent, he is like a massive whirl wind and I found it hard to keep up with him on Jonathan Ross. I admit I found some of the things he said funny, like his hints to Jonathan about their misdemeanour's on radio 2, but I think he is a complete loon. My brother also has ADHD but he isn't so psychotic. 

* Zayn leave 1D I'm board of hearing about this now. the band will go on regardless as i don't think his leaving will make a massive impact. I do think he will be a solo artist, or at least give it a go, and best of luck to him. I think it takes a big character, like Robbie Williams to make it after being in such a big band. i read that over 200 people asked for compassionate leave because of his departure, this is insane, get a grip and get your shit together people!!!!!!!!

* Michelle Keegan announced she wants Ed Sheeran to sing at her wedding (but he is on tour in America so it's not likely) well wouldn't we all?! Apparently it's not enough that shes marrying Mark bloody Wright! 

* On a lighter note, Michelle Keegan was amazing in Ordinary lies, such a thrilling episode about drug smuggling, I was gripped from start to finish, which is unheard of for me lately.  

Thats about all my goss for the week. 

Please share your thoughts on any of the above I love a good gossip x

#AskZoelle

Browsing twitter generally minding my own business, well other peoples actually and I noticed this hash-tag is trending #AskZoelle

It got me thinking about Zoelle, now before I start ranting I would just like to clarify I'm not a hater, in fact I watch most of her videos and I love what she does. But, (there's always a but, isn't there) is she really the best role model for our kids to aspire to? Generally her blogs are about her perfect hair, perfect make-up, perfect boyfriend, perfect clothes, perfect house, perfect life and so on. Its all a bit too perfect and fake for my liking. Where's the bad and the ugly and the everyday shit that we all have to endure.

In reality its unrealistic and totally unachievable.
So what is the point in Zoelle and why do we love to watch? This includes me. 

Well I can only talk for myself, but after every vlog I have to purchase the item she is promoting. For example, after her recent 'What's in your bag' vlog I had to have the Ted Baker shoulder bag. When I hunted it down it was £219 I cried and sulked for days.

Some of the things I have Zoelle to thank for:
- Collection 2000 concealer
- 'Zoelle' make up bag
- Ombre hair
- The hit it game
- H&M Basic t's.
- My desire for Naked pallets and Zoeva brushes
  (shame about my undesirable bank balance)


So my #AskZoelle would go something like this

Don't get me wrong she's a pretty incredible 24 year old women with an incredible life (and over 7 Million subscribers), I just wish sometimes she would be a bit more real, that is all. But I still love you.

 
Linked up to:



 

Mummy and me linky

The first ever, Mummy and me linky, I think this is such a good idea, I 'm always taking loads of photo's of the children but I'm never In them, this is my excuse to get some precious photo's.

 

For this one I've looked back on old photo's with my babies.

 

My boy and I at 6 months old.

 

My Girl when she was tiny and me.

 

 

 

and us all now.



The whole dying lark.

I keep putting this post off, saving it as draft and forget about it.

At 6 years of age, you should have no worries or concerns. You should always have on rose tinted glasses and believe in fairy tales and magic. I believe its our duty as parents to protect our children from all the bad in the world.
But at some point in their lives someone they're close to will die. Admittedly not their fault but still a sucky thing to do to a little person. As adults, we understand (but still not like the fact) that the world sucks sometimes and its not all peachy all of the time, but for a 6 year old this is extremely difficult to comprehend. They have millions of questions you cant possibly begin to answer, usually starting with why?
As parents we are pretty helpless all we can really do is to soften the blow, comfort and reassure them.

For those of you that follow me on twitter (if you don't then why not?! :)
You can here if you so wish @Oneofeachkind) my granddad sadly passed away last week, while it wasn't a total shock as he was very ill, he became very ill very quickly, so it knocked us all sideways a bit. I'm one of those people that bury my head in the sand and push things to the back of my mind, until I have to face it head on. This usually happens at the funeral.  

I thought long and hard about whether my daughter should attend the funeral, she was very close to my Granddad and she has found it hard to understand that he isn't with us anymore. For me, funeral's are a place to say goodbye and where it all becomes that little bit more real. However she is still only 6, is a funeral really the best place for her to be?!

I have decided against it as I don't want her to see people she is close to hurting I think its too much for a little person to understand.

Please share you thoughts on whether you think children should attend funerals and what age you were when you went to your first one, how did you feel and did you benefit from it? Thanks all.

Moving and me (part 2)

8 days till moving day! 

Where I'm at....the denial stage. 

At this stage a slight feeling of panic is starting to creep in, but not enough to do anything about it, yet. 

The truth is I've packed A box! Yeap one single box! And that one box has been unpacked by my toddler twice! So technically I've packed the same box three times! Can you see where I'm at?! 

I've thought about packing. But the thought over-whelmed me that much that I forget it as quickly as possible.

The paperwork part (my speciality) is all complete, references given, credit checks done and the tenancy is all signed up, by everyone including the pope! 

Logical Thinking

The fact I'm going away next week, to a friends wedding is probably the reason I'm in denial. Instead of prioritising, I'm putting events in order of occurrence, I deal with one thing at a time, makes perfect sense, to me!

So currently with just over a week to go I haven't a lot to report.

My Top Tips (regarding paperwork not packing)
- Read and then re-read your tenancy agreement before you sign, check what your signing, if your unsure of anything, ask.
- Make sure you know how much notice you need to give if you leave the property.
- An itinerary of the property is very important, this documents the state of the property and its contents before you moved in and will be checked upon after you leave, if they have stated the carpets are slightly marked, you need to be more specific, perhaps take photos, otherwise you could be liable for them when you leave.
- Some landlords state if you give notice on any other date but the anniversary date of you moving in (pay rent) then you are liable for the whole months rent, make sure you have this in writing.
- Obvious one, but take gas/electric meter readings before you leave you old property and as you move into the new property.

My next post will be more productive (I hope) I will be more stressed and we will be closer to the big day. Exciting...eeek.  

for anyone who hasn't read my first post here it is Moving and me (part 1)

Linking up to:

#WickedWednesday

Confessions and me.

My girl turned 6 today.

I'm selfishly very sad about this.

I have a 6 year old child, how the frigging hell did this even happen?

This should prove that I am a confident grown-up,

with actual responsibilities and authority.

When in fact I'm a fraud.

My confession, I'm winging it!

I'm just trying to make it through each day,
on no sleep, with a crazy live-wire toddler and a grown up daughter.

I'm out of my depth.

The truth is, It's not all smiles, lollipops and sleepy cuddles.
Its not at all glamorous and it doesn't come easy.

I  would really like a full nights sleep, a long shower in peace
and to eat a meal in silence.

Sometimes I may shout more then I should,
lose my patience or count the hours till bed time.

The whining, the bickering and the 'I want' get to much.
The answering back, the 'No's' and the 'I hate you' ware thin.

I shouldn't give into their demands or tantrums as much. 
A quiet life isn't always the best option 

I should read more, be silly and give longer cuddles.
Visit the park and paint when they ask.
Build dens and have more picnic's.

I'm not perfect and sometimes I get things wrong. 
But I'm doing my very best and that's all that any mother can do.

 I can't love my children anymore than I already do, or be any prouder. 
I cant promise to embrace the nappies, tantrums or the sleep deprivation
but I promise to love my babies un-conditionally
through the good, the bad and the ugly.

Ranting and me.

I love a good moan.

There are lots of posts out there on the things that make us happy and I love reading them, don't get me wrong there are lots that make me happy too but there are lots of things that p*** me off no end also. So I thought I would share them with you, its good to embrace the shit things in life too, sometimes.

Please do add any of your own in the comment box below. Lets all whine together.

1) Predictive texts, I constantly send my partner texts along the lines 'Ducking kids' not helpful when I'm on a rant.

2) Dog poo, this gets my back up! If you cant clean up after your own dog don't have one! Simple. If my child went where ever he felt like it I would have to clean it up so why shouldn't you! Shit on your prams wheels is the most annoying thing ever or worst still your toddlers shoes.

3) Low battery, I'm aware this is probably quite a popular one. But its 2015 for god frigging sake. 

4) People who park in mother and baby parking spaces, when they have no children!! why do this?!
I'm sure they do it on purpose just to wind up us already wound up mothers.

5) Smoking in public places, I used to smoke but I didn't inflict it on other people. As for smoking in car's with children this makes me so angry!

6) Sauce sachets in restaurants! I'm a lover of tomato sauce, I use quite allot of it and those stupid piddly little sachets are useless! They can not be in anyway cost effective (as I use 10 +) and are defiantly not customer friendly! Stop being tight and have bottles available for us sauce lovers.

7) Grumpy cashiers, at least pretend like you want to be there! It could be worse, you could of just attempted food shopping with a hyperactive one year old who wants to be out of the trolley at what ever cost!!

8) Shit time keeping, When people say they will be there in 5 minutes and turn up and hour later, like I got all the time In the world!!!

9) Bad manners, there is no excuse for bad manners in my opinion, please and thank you go along way.

10) Cash machines. They used to let you have £5 notes which was brilliant when you just need a loaf of bread, now you can only take out £10, so you spend the lot on going in a shop just for a loaf of bread!

11) Football tweets, don't get me wrong I love footie and I love twitter but I don't appreciate my whole feed being rammed full of football tweets every time a match is on, watch the bloody match instead of commentating!!

12) Primark. My favourite shop of all time - I love but hate shopping there. It's like a jumble sale with clothes thrown everywhere and the size on the hanger is never the size of the item and you only realise when you get all the way home! Queuing is a battle of the biggest baskets, with pushing and shoving. And why so warm, why is there a need to have the heaters on so bloody hot, I always come out of there a big sweaty, stressed mess!!

13) People without children, not all but some. Who are immaculately dressed, with no added sick stains, who have time to straighten their hair and apply make up. Who can go out without having to preform a military operation in order to leave the house and who look like they have had sleep and are re-freshed.

14) Mothers who's babies sleep and have always slept, all night. SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP!!!! SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to know.

I'm forcing myself to stop now I could probably moan all day, maybe I should do moan of the week each week, with my round-up of my latest moan's. 

Its good to moan.  

Linking up to:

BiB awards - Brilliance in blogging

Extract from BritMums website about the BiB awards -

Britmums highlights the best of parent lifestyle blogging in our Brilliance in Blogging Awards – the BiBs. It’s an opportunity to recognise the most creative, inventive and compelling blogging of the year!
Last year more than 200,000 nominations and votes were cast –
making it one of the UK’s most popular blogger awards.



Nominate here

My plea-

As a newbie blogger, I've only just started to find my feet in this crazy world of blogging, I enjoy every minute of it and its taught me so much already.
I would really appreciate the recognition and the
support from you guys.

If you could please take the time to click the link above and vote for me and yourself and any other bloggers who you think are worthy.

Thanking you x


 

Moving and me (part 1)

This is my adventures of moving house with 1 partner, 2 kids and 3,000 tons of junk! 

Part 1 - Finding a house....!

We've finally found a house to rent that doesn't come with mould and damp as standard, that has properly fitted heating system and doesn't leak!! hurray!!! It only took the best part of 6 months and a shed load of disappointments.

In my area, houses that become available to rent are snapped up quicker then the 'To Let' sign can go up! The fastest source of advertising is by word of mouth and it all depends on who you know as to whether you even get a viewing! Its a known fact that if you sneeze at one end of the high street it will be rumoured you have the plague by the time you reach the bottom of the street. Small town syndrome can be quite infuriating. 

Reputation is everything. If you've upset the landlords, Brothers, Uncles, Cousins, Grans dog at some point, well you might as well forget it. You won't even get a look in! 

I was very lucky with this house, I was in the right place at the right time (the Co-op) and I heard it on the great vine, before the agents even had the keys! I was the first to view and I knew within 5 minutes of being at the property that I was going to take it. I was one of those really annoyingly over keen people and I think I done the agents head in that much that they gave me the tenancy just to shut me up! 

It was fate.

I would just like to clarify that yes property is my profession, but in my defence I sell houses so renting is a whole another ball game. Renting is a mine field in my opinion. Even us estate agents have property trouble.

So in 2 weeks time we will be moving, 0.5 miles up the road and around the corner. Hurray, except I have to pack, a hell of allot of junk! ahhhhh!

Moving is all fun and exciting until you consider the actual moving part. I'm dreading it, if I'm honest. What I intend to do is fully forget all about it until a few days before then panic pack! This will involve throwing everything into boxes, in no particular order and with no consideration for breakables and then hope for the best.

Look out for my other posts relating to moving and me, to see if my moving strategy works.

Oh and if someone could kindly sort my garage out before the moving date that would be much appreciated.......!! ahhhhhh :(

 

#Wickedwednesday

To clarify my son has lots of toys, but he chooses to play with the baking trays instead! Typical. 

My better half and me.

'Count your lucky stars' - My better half.

This is the thing, he is almost definitely the best half. The concrete that holds it all together.

We met later then most, but at a perfect time for us at that point in our lives. I was a 27 year old single mum of a 3 year old little girl. My life was petty ordinary and ordered, I had my career, my baby girl, my house and that's all I really needed. Well, so I thought. He was a 31 year old bachelor with a pretty good lifestyle. Our lives couldn't have been any more different.

My girl and I drifted along quite nicely, until I met him! He threw my life upside down, literally. I didn't realise until I had 'it' what I had been missing out on. 'It' changed my life for the better, 'It' was that soppy shit they call love.

We clicked straight away, it was the weirdest thing ever. We are complete opposites, like yin and yang and that must be why we work so well.
I'm a little crazy and unstable and he is calming and sensible. When I'm going through a 'stress at every little thing day' he talks logic and solutions and gets me through my little bit of craziness. He often reminds me that there isn't any point in stressing about the things you cannot change.

When we met I was suffering from anxiety and depression and I often got myself into states of complete over drive, where I couldn't think straight at all and I would over think everything. This wasn't a healthy state to be in or a healthy basis for a relationship, as I could get quite jealous and insecure. He accepted all of this and we worked around it together. It wasn't easy and it was a big learning curve for the both of us. But I'm so pleased to say that I'm miles better then I was, and I have tried to take on some of his traits. I'm allot calmer and less stressful these days, don't get me wrong my personality is still slightly crazy but its more controlled now.

Some days I can still be a self confessed nightmare to live with! On those days nothing anyone does it right, I hate the world, myself and everyone and I stress about absolutely everything. But he is always there being jolly, calming and with his don't give a shit attitude and I feel reassured that even through my life feels crazy he is there holding it all together.

It has been a bit of a roller-coaster. I got pregnant pretty quick, 6-months after being together, so when my boy was 1 we had only been together just over 2 years! Insane hey?!
So we were thrown in at the deep end, I had an awful pregnancy which seemed to go on forever, we encountered numerous problems with the mother-in-law (a whole another post) and I got extremely big. Then when the little man came he suffered colic, milk intolerance and at 13 months of age he still hasn't slept a whole night through!!! Now if sleep deprivation doesn't test your relationship then nothing will. But through all of this we have remained pretty solid, he is my biggest life line, my best mate and my everything. I have no idea what I would do without him. He is the best dad, to my daughter and to our challenging son and of course the best partner I could ever ask for.

I count my lucky stars I have him in my life.

Blogging and me.

Blogging saved me from myself and from slowly going insane in a heap of sleep deprivation, nappies and tantrums.

** THANK GODNESS FOR THE BLOGMOSPHERE **

But it hasn't all been plane sailing for this blogger! I wanted to highlight some of the problems I had as a newbie blogger and how I over come them.

1) Blogger templates, designs, jargon and codes.
I set up a blog on blogger and it was pages of codes and HTML's and blogger terminology and there was little ole me like what the hell?! Allot of it is trial and error, press buttons, change fonts etc and have a play around. But some things involved reading up and researching. I found an amazing blogger who helped me no end, Potty Mouthed Mummy and her Newbie Classes there you can find everything the newbie blogger needs to know and its all in easy to understand formants. Even for the novice blogger there is something new to learn.

2) Who to follow?! -
Twitter has been my blogging life line. I have found lots of inspiring and talented bloggers, who I follow religiously. I found them all so supportive and reassuring. It is like a big blogging community. The first person I followed and learnt the blogging ways from, was the very lovely and talented Brummy mummy of 2 she tells you as it is, and I like that! when your having a shitter of a day, as us mums often do, her Don't beat yourself up guide's make for a good read. I follow lots of bloggers on Bloglovin and I spend hours reading and commenting on their blog posts, here is my fav bloggers Love to the Bloggers

3) How to get your posts out there and seen
This is still a work in progress for me, I'm still learning new ways to get my post out there. Currently twitter is my best point of call, I tweet my posts to, Tots100, Britmums, Mumsnet and Netmums in the hope for a RT and a little recognition. I have been on the front page of Mumsnet with my post School discos 2015 style but I haven't yet charted in the tots100 (this is my goal
 for 2015) I also link up to lots of linkies every week, I'm kind of obsessed! My favourites at the moment: My Linky page I love linking up my posts and reading and commenting on others. The lovely You Baby Me Mummy does two great linkies and also has this brilliant guide: Bloggers guide to linkys

4) Keep Motivated and keep your writing mojo going
This is a perfect example of where I need to take my own advice. I find it a struggle juggling, working / kids /illnesses / child-care / housework / relationships and obviously my blogging. some weeks I don't stay on top of it all and something has to give. I am getting better at planning and organising my blogging which is helping me stick at it. I'm one of those people that have to do it properly if I'm going to do it, I cant do things half heartedly. The biggest problem I have is having the worst memory in the history of the world, literally I am terrible. I'll think up great post idea's but before I've had chance to write them down something will come up, like the babies nappy and its gone, just like that! This frustrates me no end. I've always had this incredible urge to write, sometimes I have nothing to write but I just feel this need to write! weird isn't it?! This is why some of my posts are me just rambling about nothing in particular. My inspiration and all time favourite blogger is Hannah Gale she has done lots of motivational and inspiring posts.

5) Be brutally honest, be yourself - The good the bad and the ugly.
Sometimes I take this a little too far, I may come across like I don't like my children very much or I'm a hysterical mess. But that's just me blogging through it all, I don't only blog the good times and I don't pretend life is all sweetness and cuddles all of the time. Being a mother is hard bloody graft, that's the truth and for lots of us it doesn't come naturally or easy. But it is very rewarding and extremely worth while. My blog reflects all of this and all of my personality. I think blogs should be a reflection of you and your life - The good, the bad and the ugly. Not everyone will like you, but that's life. You cant be everyone's cup of tea, but I stopped trying to please others a long time ago, who has time for that anyway!! This blogger Hurrah For Gin is my perfect example.

6) Enjoy what you do or don't do it at all.
I do it because I love it, I love writing and I love blogs. I don't do it to make money or for anyone else's benefit, my blog is for me.

I have met some lovely ladies who I can relate to and who are all in the same boat as me. So thank you to all of you.

Here are some of those lovely ladies and their blogs:
Misunderstood Mummy
The Unmumsy Mum
Mummy In Training

7) Last of all don't take it too seriously.
Don't let your blog stress you or bring you down. Comments are lovely to read and they make you feel good that someone has taken the time to read your post and leave a comment, but every now and then you will get a negative comment or someone won't agree with you. That's fine, that's life. You have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth, take on board the criticism and then shake it off. Don't take it personally or to heart. Basically read it then just get over it. Accept you cant agree with everyone.

Blogging should bring out the best in you, if it doesn't don't do it.  

The joys of a 5 year old little diva.

One day you'll wake up and your little angel will suddenly have developed this bad ass attitude. Out of know where you will have this stroppy little person that is a pro at answering back, can strop for Britain and sulk like there's no tomorrow. 

Here are some of the things that are normal with my 5 year old little diva.

* Everything is met with 'It's not fair'

* Nothing is done until at least the 4th time you've asked

* "Can I have" and "I want" in every shop is a must. Even shops that you think can't possibly have anything desirable for little girls, like B&Q! 

* "Lucy at school has one so I 'need' one" is typical.

* One Direction is necessary on every car journey 

* The television and the remote are under their full control. 
* Wearing your fairy dress to the Co-op is essential, no matter what the weather, and if she should decide to wear wellies too, then she will.
* They can now read everything, texts, public toilet walls and your women's magazines! 

* When you think its safe and they're not listening, your wrong! They're always listening and taking everything in! 

* They will then ask you about the thing you thought they weren't listening to, in front of your mother in law! 

* 'because I said so' is no longer a suitable response to a little lady of this age and you're often required to be more specific 

* Fall outs at school are major incidents and telling them to just play with someone else is not feasible.

* They have the best memories in the world. They don't forget anything, especially a promise! Especially if it involves staying up late. 

* They are way past the naughty step stage! Sending them to sulk on a step will only result in more stropping and even less corporation. 

* £1 pocket money is no longer sufficient! 

* They won't let you pretend they're 4 to get in places for free, because they're not 4, end of! 

* Aaron at school said it was true so its 100% the holy gospel truth! 

* What they want to do when their grown up changes every week! We have been a vet, fireman, nurse, one direction singer and a shop keeper but this week we are to become a teacher. 

* Frozen is real life, it actually happened. Olaf does exist.  

* They have no sense of time, if they want something done it has to be done at that very minute. There is no tomorrow or next week. 

But despite all of the above, they will have you in stitches, without even realising they're being funny. They will watch you and want to be just like you. Having a mini-me is the most amazing and precious thing in the world, there is never a dull moment and you'll never be alone, its like having a constant little shadow. For the time being there is absolutely nothing a massive kiss and a squeeze from mum can't cure.